Use of Multiple Digital Signatures and Quorum Rules to Verify Aircraft Information

• US 20140337630A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kimberly, Greg A., Angus, Ian Gareth
• Granted Patent: US 9,237,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/006 involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying data for use on an aircraft. A plurality of digital certificates associated with the data is received by a processor unit. The processor unit verifies the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.

Claims

1. A method for verifying data for use on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor unit, a plurality of digital certificates associated with the data; and

verifying, by the processor unit, the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities and further comprising selecting the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates using a list of acceptable certificate authorities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the data for use on the aircraft using the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates comprises determining whether at least a specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is valid.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified number is defined by a quorum rule.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

selecting the quorum rule from a plurality of quorum rules based on a system on the aircraft on which the data will be used.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

selecting the quorum rule from a plurality of quorum rules based on a location of the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor unit is a processor unit in an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a data verification module configured to receive a plurality of digital certificates associated with data for use on an aircraft and to verify the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities and wherein the data verification module is further configured to select the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates using a list of acceptable certificate authorities.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the data verification module is configured to determine whether at least a specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is valid.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the specified number is defined by a quorum rule.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data verification module is configured to select the quorum rule from a plurality of quorum rules based on a system on the aircraft on which the data will be used.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data verification module is configured to select the quorum rule from a plurality of quorum rules based on a location of the aircraft.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the data verification module is implemented in an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft.

17. A method for verifying data for use on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor unit, the data for use on the aircraft;

generating, by the processor unit, a plurality of digital certificates for the data; and

sending the data and the plurality of digital certificates to the aircraft.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the plurality of digital certificates by an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft; and

verifying, by the aircraft network data processing system, the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.